Taobao is China's answer to eBay.
Now, Taobao is planning on getting physical. Taobao plans to build a 12,000 square meter, three story mall on Shanghai's main drag - Nanjing West Road.
The state-owned company that will operate the story pays Taobao $1.25 million each year to use the Taobao name.
The plan is to recruit sellers who use Taobao and charge them for space.
The logic is simple - Taobao thinks some people still have their guard up when it comes to shopping online - especially the Chinese, who like to handle, shake and then buy another.
Taobao online has approximately 20 million members and sometimes/often? there are misunderstandings between buyers and sellers online. At a physical mall, Taobao hopes this will diminish to some extent.
Taobao also hopes that by combining online and offline shopping, it will be a gentle introduction to many potential online shoppers.
If it flies, you can be sure similar malls will sprout up.
To be sure, it sounds like a good idea to me, especially in Internet shy areas of China.
What do you think?
go to 老毕看中国
I used to buy online, or order from catalog, but I stopped. As you said like Chinese I like to touch the merchandize before I buy it. In these days who close his/her eye before marry a person, or even before touching the merchandize!!!!!!!!
Posted by: dori | July 25, 2006 9:14 AM | Permalink to Comment